Page 29 - Florida Sentinel 4-2-21

National
Heavily Armed 31-Year-Old Texas Man Targets VP Harris
Pamela Smith Named First Black Woman Chief Of U. S. Park Police
BY STACY M. BROWN, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
NNPA Newswire -- “The Bra- zos County [Texas] Sheriff’s Of- fice has been in contact with Paul Murray over the past two weeks at the request of family members due to his behavior,” Texas officials wrote in a state- ment issued to the media.
Paul Murray, an army vet- eran from Texas already wanted by the Secret Service, was ar- rested outside of Vice President Kamala Harris’s official resi- dence.
U. S. Secret Service officers took Murray into custody after find- ing a large-capacity ammunition- feeding device, a rifle and ammunition, and another unidentified dangerous weapon.
Vice President Harris and Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff have not moved into the residence at the U. S. Naval Ob- servatory, and neither were there
OUTSIDE NAVAL OBSERVATORY
during the incident.
“There were no criminal viola-
tions found, but our agency con- tinued to monitor the situation because of concerning behavior and statements, as well as infor- mation that Murray may have been in possession of weapons.”
Authorities said deputies, work- ing with the family and health care providers to obtain a mental health evaluation, received infor- mation that Murray may have traveled to Washington, D. C.
“We communicated that infor-
mation with our local and federal partners in an effort to ensure the safety of all involved,” the state- ment read.
Murray’s mother report- edly called the police to request a welfare check on her son, stating she was concerned about his mental state.
Court documents revealed that the 31-year-old Murray com- plained to police that he wasn’t getting support from Veteran’s Affairs and was not taking pre- scribed medication.
Despite the mental health concerns, many Americans have expressed concern that Murray may have targeted the vice presi- dent for political reasons or be- cause she’s a woman of color.
“He had a rifle and a large ca- pacity clip in his vehicle,” Twitter user @1988Vor wrote. “Is he just another ‘bad day’ Christian man or mentally disturbed?”
Neither Vice President Har- ris nor the White House has is- sued statements regarding the incident.
BY STACY M. BROWN, NNPA Newswire Senior Na- tional Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
NNPA NEWSWIRE — At the United States Park Police, Chief Pamela Smith will lead a 560- member workforce that protects the public, parks, and the na- tion’s most iconic landmarks in Washington, D. C., New York City, and San Francisco metro- politan areas.
Pamela A. Smith, a 23-year veteran of the United States Park Police, will lead the nation’s old- est federal law enforcement agency.
Chief Smith, who becomes the first African American woman to lead the 230-year-old agency, immediately remarked that she would establish a body- worn camera program for USPP within 90 days.
The program will initially begin in San Francisco and be implemented across the country by the end of the year, Chief Smith stated.
“Body-worn cameras are good for the public and good for our officers, which is why I am prior- itizing implementing a body- worn camera program within my first 90 days,” Chief Smith of- fered in a statement.
“This is one of the many steps we must take to continue to build trust and credibility with the public we have been entrusted to serve.”
Chief Smith earned a bache- lor’s degree in Education from the University of Arkansas at
CHIEF PAMELA A. SMITH
Pine Bluff, graduated from the FBI National Academy. She is a member of the National Organi- zation of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
During her law enforcement career, the proud Zeta Phi Beta Sorority sister has served as a pa- trol officer, field training officer, canine handler, and academy in- structor at the Federal Law En- forcement Training Center.
Chief Smith was the first woman to lead the New York Field Office as its Major.
Chief Smith declared that she would lead by example and ex- pects all officers to display in- tegrity.
“I have dedicated my career to the professionalism of law en- forcement, and it is my highest honor and privilege to serve as Chief of Police,” Chief Smith declared. “Today’s officers face many challenges, and I firmly be- lieve challenges present opportu- nities. I look forward to leading this exemplary team as we carry out our mission with honesty and integrity.”
Firefighter, 9-Year-Old And Teens Give Powerful Testimony In Chauvin Trial
FIREFIGHTER GENEVIEVE HANSEN AND MMA FIGHTER DONALD WILLIAMS II
Feelings of horror and fear were recalled in a Min- neapolis court Tuesday as a se- ries of bystanders testified about what it was like to wit- ness George Floyd slowly die under the knee of former police officer Derek Chauvin last May.
Six bystanders testified on the second day of Chauvin's crim- inal trial: a 9-year-old girl, three high school students, a mixed martial arts fighter and a Minneapolis firefighter. All ar- rived at the scene hoping to buy snacks from a corner store or looking to get fresh air -- only to witness a man's last breaths.
"I was sad and kind of mad," the 9-year-old testified. "Be- cause it felt like he was stopping his breathing, and it was kind of like hurting him."
The MMA fighter, Donald Wynn Williams II, testified that he was so disturbed by what he saw that he called 911 to report it. "I called the police on the police," he said. "I believed I witnessed a murder."
Minneapolis firefighter and certified EMT Genevieve Hansen, who was out for a walk on her day off, testified she wanted to render aid to Floyd and repeatedly asked police to check for a pulse. They refused.
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